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mmsgsmq H. Y, ARMSTRONG.

BANDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1918.

Patented July 1, 1919.

H. Y. ARMSTRONG.

BANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIT. 19m.

Patented. July 1, 1919.

.5 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H. Y. ARMSTRONG.

BANDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 1am.

' v Patented July 1, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

H. Y. ARMSTRONG,

BANDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. I918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ye I

Patent'ed July 1, 1919.

H. Y; ARMSTRONG.

' BANDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAYHJQIB.

' 'Patented July 1, 1915).

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Q w I $255? HARRY Y. nnmsrnons, or SPRINGFIELD, nassacnusn rrs, nssren'on no me MACHINERY CQMPANY, or srnmsrintn, nssncnusnrrs,

Specification of Letters Patent.

nnn'nmamncmnn.

Patented July i an.

Original application filed October 7, 1915, Serial No. 54,646. Divided and this application filed y 17, 191%.

r Serial No. 235,168. a

all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Y.-Amusrnono,- a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county oflHampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Banding-Machines,

r of which the following description, in con till nection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures."

This invention relates to packaging-machines and will'be herein disclosedas embodied in a machine designed especially to fold bands, stamps, .or the like around plugs of tobacco. It will be evident, however, that the various features of the invention are not limited to this particular use but maybe also used in packaging or labeling cakes of.

wrapping tobacco, the band usually is in the form of a revenue stamp. In the latter cases reliability is an exceedingly important re quirement of a machine by which the stamps are to be applied because of the expense involved in wasting stamps. In any case it is desirable that the bands be firmly secured 'and neatly affixed to the packages. The

present invention provides a banding mech- "ill anism designed to meet these requirements and in the specific form shown this mechanism is adapted to aiiix to each package both a revenue stamp and also a band or label which may bear an attractive design or advertising matter. i

In wrapping or banding many articles, such as certain of those above mentioned, it is found that there is a very substantial variation in the sizes of the articles and that these variations. are the cause of much trouble in performing the banding operations especially where it is necessary to secure the band or similar device tightly bout the package. It is an important obJect of mechanism; I A

Fig. 11 1s a vertical cross sectional view this invention to make provision for these a coiaro 'rlon" or variations and to devise a banding niechanism that will fold the bands tightly about the packages and secure them in their folded positions.

The invention also is directed to other features including novel means for maintaining the bands in proper alinement during their application to a package and for registering the ends of the bands accurately and to the provision of mechanism for performing the Various operations on a wrapped package wlthout tearing, or breaking, or wrinkling the wrapper or the bands.

The manner in which it is proposed to accoinplish these objects will be readily understood from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figures 1 2 and 3 are angular views of a package showing the successive steps in the banding operation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view showing a portion of the wrapping machine from which the packages are delivered to the bandingmechanism provided by this invention and also showing a portionof. the latter mechanism;

,Fig; 5 is a vertical cross sectional view through the banding mechanism, the plane of out being substantially in the ath of travel of the articles through the inding mechanism F'g. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional mechanism;

Fig. 7 is across sectional View on the line w-m, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a'vertica-l cross sectional view through the band feeding mechanism;

view showing certain details of the banding Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view on the line 9-4), Fig. 8;

Fig. 10. is a fragmentary perspective view showing certaindetails of the band feeding through the banding mechanism at right can gles' to the view shown at v5, certain of;

the parts being omitted for the sake of clearness- The present application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 54,646, filed October 7 1915, for improvements in wrapping machines. The machine shown in that application was designed to wrap plugs of tobacco or similar articles one at a time in sheet wrapping material, a coupon being inclosed in the wrapper with the tobacco, and then to fold about the package so produced two bands, one of which might consist of a'revenue stamp and the other of 'a label bearing advertising matter. These bands were folded over the end folds of the wrapper to secure them in their folded positions. The present application is concerned with the banding mechanism disclosed in the earlier application above designated.

The machine shown comprises a machlne frame 2 'having bearings in which a main shaft 4 is rotatably mounted and this shaft carries'a handwheel 5 by means of which the machine may be operated manually, a loose pulley 6 enabling the machine to be belted to any convenient source of power and a clutch by which a driving connection betwen the pulley 6 and the shaft 4 may be effected. A

cross shaft 8 is driven through a bevel gear connection with the main shaft 4.

Fig. 4 of the drawings shows a part of the mechanism. of the wrapping machine including the tumble box 22, the folding chute 42 into which the packages are pushed by the ejector 45, the final end folding operations being performed as v the package is forced through the folding chute 42 by the ejector. This ejector carries each package completely through the folding chute on to two ledges 48 that form'conti'nuations of the bottom of the folding chute into a position directly over a U-shaped plunger or elevator 50 which constitutes a part of the banding mechanism. The ledges 48 serve to secure the package by its ends in position for the engagement therewith of the elevator 50. The plunger is mounted for vertical, reciprocating movement and carries the packages X one at a time to the devicesthat fold the bands about the package. The operating mechanism for this plunger is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5.and comprises a lever-51 fulcrumed on the machine frame at 52 and having one arm connected by an adjustable link 53 with the shank 54 of the plunger which moves in vertical guideways, the other arm of said lever being provided with a roll which runs in a cam path formed in a cam 55 mounted fast on the cross shaft 8. As clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 11, the left hand arm of the plunger-50 is pivoted to the other arm and is provided with a downwardly projecting extension which is acted upon by a spring 56 in a direction tending to swing the upper end of the arm toward its companion, this movement, however, being limited by a screw 57 that projects through the movable arm and is threaded into the shank 54. This arrangement is provided to enable the plunger or elevator to handle packages varying in width. It will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 4 that the package is supported by the upper ends of the two'elevator arms which for this purpose are notched or shouldered to provide vertical "beveled faces that engage the sides of the package and horizontal faces that engage the bottom of the package near its opposite sides. Since the ejector 45 has a stroke of definite length it will move the rearward side of each package to a fixed point on each ejecting stroke. This stroke .is so proportioned that the point just men- While the Cpackage is supported on the two ledges 48 an just prior to theupward movement of the elevator 50 into engagement with the package, a band deliverin mechanism operates to position two bands on the package in substantially the positions in which they are indicated at L and S, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 4. This band delivering mechanism comprises a double magazine 60 (see Figs. 8 and 12) designed to receive the stacks of labels and stamps, respectively, the stamps being separated from the labels by a central partition. Two sets of stripper rolls 62, one set in advance of the other and both underlying the two stacks of bands, operate on th bottonnnost label and stamp to feed them forward simultaneously into parallel guideways (i3 and 64, respectively, which open in front of and at the bottom of the magazine. A pair of needles 74 project, respectively, into the two compartments of the magazine and prevent the stripper rolls from advancing more than one stamp and one label at a time. The forward set of stripper rolls (52 is operated by driving connections with the cross shaft 8, these connections including a shaft 65, a

chain 66, and a gear 67 and the two sets of naoaaae are so positioned with reference to the length of the two bands that they advance them untilthe forward ends of both bands lie at the forward ends of the guideways where they are positioned for the 'engagement of a nipper 72 whichmompletes the band feeding operation. P Narrow guides 7 3 overlie th bands as they travel through their guideways 63 and 64 and prevent them from be coming displaced. The forward ends of these guides 73 are turned downwardly to insure the accurate positioning of the ends of the bands.

When a package is pushed through'thefolding chute 42 by the ejector 45 and positioned over the elevator 50, it is forced between a pair of vertical plates 76 which lie at opposite sides of the path of the package and are positioned to bear against the ends of the package and hold the end folds in place. These plates are supported loosely on pins 77 which are encircled by springs that force the plates against the opposite ends of the package but permit them to yield out- \glldly when a package is forced between t em.

sage horizontally therethrough-of the nipper 72. This nip'per is reciprocated by means 83 to the nipper bar, this bar being mounted to slide in a horizontal way 84 formed in a stationary p rt of the machine frame. The forward end of this nipper bar is shaped to form the stationary jaw of the nipper. The movable jaw 85 is pivoted to the nipper bar at 86 and its rearmost end is pivoted to a block which slides in a channel bar 88 pivoted at 89 and normally held downwardly by a spring 90. This springthus acts to hold the nipper in its closed condition. A bell crank lever 92 pivoted on the machine frame at 93 and connected to the channel bar 88 by a link 94, carries a roll running on a surface cam 95 mounted fast on the shaft l,

9 which serves to open the nipper at the proper points in its travel and allows the spring 90 to close the nipper at other points in its stroke.

The mechanism 'ust described operates to advance the nipper /2 through the aperture 78 and over the elevator 50 to the forward ends of the band guideways 63 and 64, as shown in Fig. 10. At this time the cam 95 operates through the connections just described to close the nipper on the two ends of the bands S and L, as shown in Fig. 10, after which the nipper immediately starts on its return stroke, thus drawing these two hands out of their guidcways and carrying them over thev are moved over two glue applying rolls Both of theseplates are apertured, as indicated at 78, Fig. 5, to permit thepaswall of the glue tank 99.

the package which at this time is resting on the two ledges 48 just above the elevator 50. As shown in Fig. 10, the nipper 72 carries two ins 96 which limit the entrance of the ends-of the bands between the nipper jaws and facilitate the accurate positioning of the bands on the package. a

While the two bands S and L are being advanced to position them on the package one of which is shown at 97 (see Fig. 5) that rotate side by side in a reservoir 99 of glue or other adhesive and which apply a strip of glue to the entire length of both the label and stamp. These glue rolls may be driven in any convenient manner but preferably are operated in the manner that the glue rolls are operated in the machine shown inmy Patent No. 1,244,277, granted October 23, 1917, for improvements in wrapping machines. It therefore is deemed inadvisable to show the details of this mechanism in the present application.

In order to properly aline the bands on the package or, in other words, to keep them in their parallel and spaced relationship, an arm 100 is pivoted to one of the plates 76 directly over the path of travel of the nipper 72, as shown in Fig. 5, and is of such length that, as the nipper is withdrawn carrying a pair ofbands with it over the glue applying rolls 97 and 98, the arm 100 will drop between the bands and thus keep them properly spaced. This arm, of course, because of its pivotal movement, is moved out of the 100 'path of the-nipper 72 when the nipper strikes it on the forward stroke of the nipper. These parts are shown in Fig.7 in the positions which they-would occupy just after the nipper 72 has moved through the open- .ing 78 in the first plate 7 6, the arm 100 having dropped into substantially a vertical position between the bands L and S. The forward ends of the bands at this time lie between the two plates 76 and they are held in alinement by the opposite sides of the aperture 78 and by the arm 100. The bands are supported at this time by the lower edge of the forward aperture 78 and by horizon tal shoulders formed in a plate 102 (see Figs. 5 and 7) which is secured to the rear These shoulders are notched or cut away at points immediately under the strips of glue 9 on the bands but support each band at opposite sides of said strip. In Fig. 7 the bands S and L are shown slightly above these shoulders for the purpose of clearness. A pin 101, projecting horizontally through the arm 100 lies at this time immediately over the bands b and L and prevents any tendency of the bandsto twist or get out of their proper positions. These bands thus are caused to move in a definite or predetermined path and are held accurately in proper positions for their application to the package, thus insuring their correct placement on the package and the exact registry of the ends of the bands with reference to each other in the subsequent.

folding operations.

The nipper continuesits backward movement until it has delivered the two bands in the proper position on the package lying between the plates 76 at whichtime the cam 95 operates the movable jaw 85 of the nipper to cause it to release the bands. Fig.

1 shows substantially the position of the bands on the package at this time. During the latter part of the movement of the nipper a presser head 110, carrying a yieldllilgiy supported presser plate 111 in which a rizontal'series of rolls 112 are mounted,

, descends. between the plates 7 6' on to the top of the package which is supported over the elevator 50. This presser member is mounted on the upper ends of a pair of guide rods 114 (see Fig. 11) which slide in vertical guideways formed in the ma chine frame, and is operated by a cam 115 through connections including a link 116 and a lever 117-. The series of rolls 112 which form the package engaging portion of thismember are brought down on top of the bands L a'ndiS as soon as they are po-.v

sitioned on the package by the nipper 72 and just prior ,to the opening movement of the nipper so that they clamp the two bands in their proper positions on the package be-.

fore or at substantially the same time that the bands are released by the 'niDDer. The U-shaped elevator 50 immediately begins its upward movement, the yielding arm of this elevator finding its proper position on i the side of the package in the manner above described, and theelevator and presser member then rise simultaneously to the position in which they are shown in 5, carrying the package with them. The upward movement of the package brings the projecting portions of the bands against the upper edges of the apertures 78 in the two plates 76 and folds these projecting portions over the folds of the wrapper at the opposite ends bottom of the package, leaving the package in the condition in which it .is shown in Fig. 2. This folderis mounted fast on a horizontal slide 122, 'Fig'. 5, from. which an arm 123 depends,and it is operated by a cam124 onthe shaft 4: which rocks a lever 125, the upper end of thislever beingconnected byan adjustable link 1526 to the other package. The U-shaped form of the elevator also permits the nipper 72 to advance while the elevator is in its uppermost position through the space between'the elevator arms in readiness to deliver another pair of bands.

A earn 130 on the. shaft 1 operates a lever 131 which is connected bv means of a link 132 to a lug 133 projecting from the bottom of the slide 134 on which the plunger 128 is mounted and gives this plunger its operative movement. The members 120 and 128 continue their forward movement in unison' until the parts have reached substantially the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 6 at which time the folder 120 stops while the plunger 128 continues to move forward, thus pushing the package on to a series of rolls 137 mounted on a stationary plate 136 and forming a stationary folder. These rolls 137 foldthe forward depending ends of the bands against the bottom of the package and over the ends of the bands that have already been folded by the rolls 121-, leaving the package in the condition in which it is shown in Fig. 3. Preferably the two bands are gluedthroughout their entire length so that they will be firmly secured to the packa e and their ends will be secured to each ot ier.

'The package is advanced far enough by the plunger 128 so that one of a series of bars 139, carried" by a pair of chains 138 which lie on opposite sides of the path of movement of the packages, engages the rear face of the packa e as soon as the plunger 128 withdraws and continues the advancing movement of the package. The parts 126 and 120, of course, immediately withdraw to their initial positions in readiness to operate on-the next succeeding package. It will bereadily'understood that, by making the package engaging ortions of the presser member 110 and the older 120 in the form of a series'of rolls, as above described, the

.inoun-ted presser plates 141 carried by a removable plate. 142 The plate 1&0 preferably is covered with a strip of canvas or reoaeaa some similar material which loosely encircles the member 140 so that it can slip on this the combination with a vertically movable.

member under the drag "of the packages while at the same time ooiiperating with the presser plates 141 to hold the bands firmly in their folded positions while the glue is drying. After the packages pass out from under the presser plates 141 they are carried by the chains 138 onto a conveyor belt 144 whiclr is supported on rotatable pulleys'. Preferably the chains 138 are given a stepby step movement, by mechanism shown in my parent application above designated.

While I'have hereinshown and described yielding movement to enable them to accom modate packages of different widths, means for delivering packages to said elevator one at a time, bandfeeding mechanism operative to position a band in the patlr of movement of sa idpackage While it ison said elevator, and means for folding said, band around said package including a folder movable into the space between the arlnsof said elevator. 2. In a machine of the character described,

plungermneans for presenting articles one at a time to said plunger, a presser device movable lIll'iO. engagement with the article presented to said plunger topress said article against said plunger and thereafter movable with said plunger to transfer the article,

. band feeding mechanism operative to interpose a band between said article and said .pres'ser device, said presser device comprising "a series of yieldingly supported rolls forming its package engaging surface,, a pusher operative at right angles to the move ment'of said plunger to, remove the ackage from said plunger and 'presser device, and

folders each having a series of rolls forming their package engaging surfaces and operative to fold the band about the package.

3. Ina machine of the character described, the combination with devicesfor affixing bands to packages, of means for advancing e0 packages one at a time for the banding operation, a. reciprocatingnipper, means for operating said nipper to cause it to position a pair of bands in thepath of each package, means for positioning bands one pair at a he time so'that said nipper can grasp them,

and means oooperatin with the nipper to I a'line each pair of .ban s in the path of thepackages.

4:.) In a machine of the character described, the combination with' devices for affixing bands to packages, of means for advancing packages one at a time for the banding operation, a reciprocating nipper, means for operatin said nipper to cause it to position a pair 0 bands in the path of each package, means for positioning bands one pair at a time so that said nipper can grasp them, and means coeperating with the nipper to aline each pair of bands in the path of the packages including a. device normally positioned inthe path of the nipper and constructed and arranged to guide the bands but mounted to be mhved by the nipper out of its path as it advances and movable into band guiding position again when the nipper retires.

5. In a machine of the character'described. the combination with devices foraflixing bands to packages, of means for advancing packages one at a time'for the banding operation, a reciprocating nipper. means for operating sald nlpper to cause It to position a pair of bands in the path of each pack age, means for positioning bands one pair at a time so that said nipper can grasp them, means coiipera tingwit l1 the nipper to aline each pair of bands in the path of the acka 'es and means for a l in adhesive.

material to the bands while they are being advanced to the path of the packages.

6. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with means for affixing bands to' packages, of means for advancing packages one at a time for the banding operation, means operative to position a pair of bands in the path of each package, andmeans coiiperating with said advancing means to ahne 'each pair of bands properly in said path.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for ailixing bands to packages, of means for advancing packages one at a time for the banding operation, means constructed and arranged to reciprocate across the path of the packages and operative to position a pair of bands in the path of each package, means for positioning bands one pairat a time for-the engagement therewith of said, reciprocating means, and means-co6perating with said reciprocating means to aline said bands paral el each other in the path of the pack- 65- i I l V 1 8. In a machine of the character described,

thecombination with meansfor affixing bands to packages, of means for advancing packages one at a. time for the banding operation, means operative to position a pair of bands in the pathof each package,.glue applying rolls over which the "bands are moved by said band positioning means, and means operative to guide said bands into contact with said rolls and to keep the bands properly alinedQ 9. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for aflixing bands to packages, of mechanism operative to advance'packages one at a time for the banding operation, a reciprocating nipper,mechanism for operating said nipper to cause it to position a pair of bands in the path of each package, ,means for positioning bands one pair at a time to enable said nipper to grasp them, a pair of glue applying rolls over which the bands are fed by said nipper, and guiding means constructed and arranged to guide said bands in predetermined paths, said guiding means including a device having a part normally resting in the path of said nipper and being mounted to be moved out of said path by said nipper.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRYY. ARMSTRONG. 

